Franklin County residents can weigh in on rural transportation plan through June 30

Franklin County residents, Rocky Mount commuters and regional businesses have until June 30, 2026, to weigh in on long-range rural transportation priorities.

Franklin County says the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission is gathering public input for the 2050 Rural Long Range Transportation Plan. The plan covers rural communities served by RVARC, including Franklin, Roanoke, Alleghany, Botetourt and Craig counties, the City of Covington and the towns of Clifton Forge, Fincastle, New Castle and Rocky Mount.

The county says the plan will identify transportation needs and possible solutions related to safety, existing infrastructure, regional connectivity and access to jobs, schools, health care and essential services.

• Who should respond: Drivers, employers, freight users, families, older adults, people without reliable transportation, cyclists, pedestrians and anyone who uses rural routes in Franklin County or the Roanoke-Alleghany corridor.
• What to know: The survey is online at the RVARC engagement site and has been extended through June 30.
• Why it matters: Long-range transportation plans help shape which road, bridge, safety, transit and access needs are documented before future funding decisions.

Residents should submit comments through the official RVARC survey if they want specific roads, safety concerns, access gaps or regional commuting needs included in the planning record.

Source: Reporting based on Franklin County's May 19, 2026 notice, RVARC Rural Long-Range Transportation Plan Survey, checked June 9, 2026.